Volunteer Of The Year

WCA Names Award Winner

April 29, 2014

The WCA Hospital held a special volunteer luncheon on Monday in the hospital auditorium in appreciation of all individuals who volunteer at the hospital, and to name the award winner.

Before presenting the award to Legters, Elizabeth DeRosa, WCA Hospital volunteer coordinator, said that the Volunteer of the Year was so well-liked that many in the hospital call her "grandma."

Article Photos

Pictured in the front row, from left, are Brenda Ireland, chair of the WCA Hospital board of directors; Betsy Wright, WCA Hospital president and CEO; Ann Legters, 2013 Volunteer of the Year; Irving Legters, Ann’s husband; and Elizabeth DeRosa, WCA Hospital volunteer coordinator. Pictured in the back row are some of Ann Legters’ family members. Pictures above show Legters reacting to the announcement while family members enter and surprise her through the rear doors.P-J photos by Daniel Swanson

"She has touched the lives of so many throughout the hospital," DeRosa said. "This volunteer is willing to do anything for anyone."

As DeRosa announced Legters as the 2013 Volunteer of the Year, Legters' family, residents of Clymer, appeared in the doorway of the auditorium to cheer her on.

Legters has been serving at the hospital for 12 years, for a total of 3,388 hours. She has worked in various areas of the hospital, including the radiation department and the snack shop.

According to Legters' husband, Irving, his wife's interest in serving people came from working 37 years for the postal service.

"I like visiting with people," Ann Legters said. "I want to be where there's people. At the snack shop, people wanted to talk or just needed an ear to listen. It's a pleasure to come to work - I love it."

According to Betsy Wright, WCA Hospital president and CEO, a total of 107 volunteers provided 21,207 hours of service to the hospital in 2013.

"You are often the first person patients and families see when they visit our hospital," Wright said. "As a volunteer, you provide an important role in our patient care experience by offering encouragement, support and a reassuring smile. Your skills, advice, experience, friendship and inspiration are invaluable contributors in making our hospital the area's leader in healthcare."

Wright also spoke about the recent accomplishments of WCA Hospital, including discussing the new emergency department, which has served 45,361 patients since opening. The hospital provided more than 200,000 outpatient procedures and welcomed 631 babies in 2013. In January, WCA celebrated the 10th anniversary of the hospital's sleep center, and WCA is the first and only hospital in the Southern Tier to provide robotic surgery. According to Wright, WCA has provided more than 200 robotic procedures since the program's inception last year, led by Dr. Timothy Brown.

Brenda Ireland, chair of the WCA Hospital board of directors, recognized the volunteers who provided the most hours to the hospital in 2013: Robert Gray, 894 hours; Robert Scott, 768 hours; and James Till, 689 hours. Ireland also noted that Gray has volunteered 8,800 hours in total, and Scott has volunteered 7,900 hours in total.

During the event, Donna Beal, a volunteer at the hospital, discussed her journey to becoming a volunteer and her enjoyment of it.

According to Beal, she made a pact with a friend that after retiring, both would begin volunteering at the hospital. Initially, Beal was in charge of running the coffee cart throughout the hospital.

Currently, Beal volunteers in several hospital departments, including the emergency room, admission and dialysis.